


Tangled Within You

by Cherriewine



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Death, Death of unnamed characters, Eventual Smut, Eventual War, Fantasy, Happy End (For the Main Characters), Implied Past Incest, It gets edgy, M/M, Murder, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:27:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25478398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherriewine/pseuds/Cherriewine
Summary: Fantasy AU with Ritsu and Izumi. Set in the kingdom of the North, where vampires rule over unknowing humans... Or, at least, they were unknowing to begin with.  When the East finds out about this, a war breaks out, while a romance blossoms between the prince and his knight.
Relationships: Future Background Tenshouin Eichi/Tsukinaga Leo, Past Sakuma Rei/Sakuma Ritsu, Sakuma Ritsu/Sena Izumi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Fluffy cuteness to start off this undoubtedly edgy and dramatic fic.

It was offensive, honestly, that the royal guard had decided this was where he'd be posted. Apparently, they saw him too young to do any proper training, at least not yet. As if he hadn't traveled for days and fought hundreds of other boys to get here, to get this opportunity, but all he'd done was tend to horses. They didn't even trust him to do that alone at first, as if he wouldn't know because he was noble born. He accused that maybe the noble boys here were just stupid and spoiled, and he'd gotten in a fair bit of trouble, given extra work, but he was right. If they didn't even know how to groom their own horses, what gave them the right to even have them? Ridiculous. He was informed over and over again he should be honored, he was appointed to the stables that handled the palaces horses, and all he could think was that in the week he had been here, he hadn't seen any of them ride once. Were they really that busy? He huffed, cutting open a fresh bale of hay and taking out a few flakes to each horse, calming down a bit hanging around them, giving them more grain and making several trips to the well to get all of them fresh water. Finally, he sat one of the unused hay bales, tired, but mind still racing. He wanted to do more than this, and he could. If they gave him the opportunity, he could do all of this and study to become a knight. He said that, of course, but he was sweating, tired from bringing that water two and fro. It was extremely heavy, and it took quite a bit to refill all that was needed. Embarrassingly, he found himself leaning against the wall and shutting his eyes for a moment. considering resting.

Ritsu really didn't understand why he had been dragged along on this trip, it was just another dumb marriage proposal for his elder brother, so why did he have to go with? Of course his parents were trying to marry him off as well, but not as quickly as his elder brother, thank the gods. He was in no rush to be married and if he could potentially avoid it altogether that would be best - he joked once to his parents about joining the Kings guard just to avoid being married off, that horrified them of course. Being a knight would be too much work anyway, he preferred being pampered royalty. 

"Hm a new stable boy?" Ritsu mused as he strode to his horse, Whisper's, stall. "I hope he's been treating you well, I'd have to punish him otherwise." A smirk spread on his face as he gave his horse a pat, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead. "I'm back, boy, sorry Father wouldn't let me take you, said you were too undignified for a royal prince." 

Izumi had nearly fallen asleep when he heard someone entering the stables, and it took him a good moment to shake himself from his slumber. He found himself suppressing a groan when he heard the boy comment on him, even daring to say he would treat any of the horses poorly. How obnoxious. He made his way over to argue before, of fucking course, hearing that this sassy bastard was the prince. He weighed his options, which were defending his twelve-year-old honor, or being polite in hopes of not getting kicked out for treason, and quickly chose the former. Who cares about that, anyways, it's not like he was old enough to do anything much from the looks of it. 

"Of course I've been treating him well," he complained, "I treat all of the horses perfectly well, and then I have to go back and spoil my own boy. It's a lot of work, but I'd never be cruel to an animal, milord." He thought for a moment, pondering if he seriously wanted to be murdered, and decided he couldn't care less. "You couldn't take him? Really? Hm, your father sounds like a royal pain in the ass, but I didn't say so, of course," he grinned, "since that's treasonous, of course. He's likely much better than whatever boring horse they made you take instead." He smiled more gently now, reaching out and giving Whisper (finally, he knew the horses name) a gentle pet himself. Well, he supposed meeting the prince was a unique opportunity at least, so he could be grateful for that, even if he was annoyed they'd put off his training.

Ritsu raised an eyebrow, curiously watching the new stable boy. No one had ever spoken to him so bluntly before, it was refreshing, if he were to be honest. "He is a royal pain in the ass. Getting him to let me even keep Whisper was an ordeal. 'Fjords aren't horses meant for royalty, Ritsu! You need a great big strong horse, one like your brother has!' As if I care. Horses shouldn't be chosen on how they look, they should be chosen on how well you bond with them." He turned to face the silver haired boy, Whisper nuzzling him as he did so. "Don't you agree?"

Thanking the Gods that be that he wasn't already punched or executed, he nodded in response to the prince's statement, though he had to admit he slightly zoned out while he was complaining about his father. Not because he disliked the boy, but more that... Well, he was stunning. What he'd heard of the royal family was true- their eyes were a deep, cranberry red, apparently something to do with an oddity in their lineage. They were a bit hypnotizing, unnatural and striking, even more so against the princes fair skin, pale even against the backdrop of snow. Not to mention how much that paleness was brought out by the luxuriously shiny black hair atop his head, Izumi had to bite his lips not to flirt right away. He was truly a prize- he found himself a bit jealous of the woman who would someday marry this gorgeous prince. After all, he'd have to get an heir, and he'd need a highbred noble girl to get that, even if nobody typically blinked on boys together in the North... He needed to get his eyes away from this one, in specific. He swallowed heavily, realizing he let himself stare a bit too long, and flushed, turning his attention to Whisper, petting her further. "Yes, milord, I have to agree," though he could tell his response was a bit quieter than his others. Looking away from the prince, at least, he was able to gain some composure. He almost asked for his name, but well, it would be impolite for someone of lower status to do such a thing- he really should already know. He cursed himself. "I quite like Fjords, really. And Whisper is pretty charming, in my opinion. I can see why you picked her."

No one has ever stared at him so boldly either, this boy was truly interesting to Ritsu, he made a mental note to keep him around. "Charming? Hah, all the other stable hands find her much too spirited! You must have a way with horses if she hasn't nipped you yet." He leaned his arms against the stall door, letting Whisper nuzzles his hair. She was a gorgeous horse, a beautiful silver dun with a bold dorsal stripe and leg barring- though her mane has grown out some since he's been away, he'll have to clip it back to it's cute pattern later. She was also looking a bit pudgy, he noted. "Stable boy, join me for a ride. Whisper hasn't been ridden in a while and I need to get away from my family or I'll go crazy."

"Well, I'd love to go riding with you, but my horse isn't kept here, your majesty. He's not too far away, just near the Kingsguard's quarters, so we'll have to walk over there first if we'd like to ride. They're training me, supposedly. By making me shovel horse shit, as we all know that perfectly teaches how to swing a sword," he commented dryly. He smiled a bit, though, at the comment that Whisper was a stubborn one. "Everyone used to say the same about my horse at home, though my mom gifted me another when I set off here... Said he'd be more suited for a knight's work, but I think she just wanted to spoil me. Or maybe get rid of the old mare, not like she'll be able. Everyone will have to deal with having their hands being bitten off until I bring her here, I suppose," he laughed. "My new boy is pretty sweet, at least. Even to others, what a gentleman. Ah, and it's Izumi of the Sena house, milord." He figured he might as well introduce himself. "Because it'd be grating to get called a stable boy all the time."

"That's not an issue." Ritsu quickly grabbed a bridle, gently putting it on Whisper before opening the stall door and hopping on bareback. "I can ride over. You've groomed the horses in the other stable as well, I assume? Since you were just falling asleep in here, all your chores must have already been done. So it shouldn't be an issue to just get on and go." Whisper tossed his had and pranced in place a bit, ready to get going. "Ah, so your previous horse was a mare, huh? They are quite temperamental, but I like that about them, I think it adds to their charm." He nudged Whisper along, walking with Izumi towards the other stables. "I'm Ritsu of the Sakuma house, second born prince, it's a pleasure to meet you, stable boy." Ritsu smirked, glancing down at the other to see his reaction.

Izumi looked up at Ritsu, seemingly unimpressed by his sass, but internally found himself a bit amused. The prince was more interesting than he expected, even if he was rude. If anything, that just meant they could get along. "You think you're clever, hm? I bet a lot of people would assume that means you think it's not worth it to bother with someone's name if they're lower status than you. But I know you're just trying to cause trouble, milord, so I'll be as polite as ever and let it pass." The walk wasn't too far, all things considered, but it was annoyingly far when he just wanted to get on his horse already. "But yes, all my chores for today are done, the only one left is passing out and repeating them all tomorrow. I was pretty comfy you know, rude of you to inerrupt," he joked.

"Me? Cause trouble? Why I never!" Feigning shock, Ritsu dramatically placed his hand over his chest. Whisper immediately tossed her head, as if to agree with Izumi. "You too, Whisper? I'm being betrayed!" He couldn't help the smile that fell on his face. He's never been able to banter like this with someone, so it was quite nice to be able to for once. "Comfy sleeping in a barn? Why, you sure have low standards." Ritsu gently pulled back on the reigns, bringing Whisper to a stop as they arrived at the other stables. He couldn't help but be excited to see Izumi's horse, it was always fun to meet a new horse and this one arrived while he was away so he hadn't a chance to yet.

It was cruel how cute the Ritsu looked when he smiled, and he had to firmly remind himself this wasn't just any boy. Frustrating, but necessary, when he was stupidly pretty. Still, he found himself having a fairly nice time, even laughing a bit himself when he spoke to his horse so dramatically. "Yeah, well, you come in and sleep in my quarters, hardly better than a hay bale, milord.," he quipped. He strode to Glacier's stall impatiently, absolutely grinning when he finally came into view. "Finally boy, we'll get to go on a nice ride, with the prince even, now isn't that nice?" he whispered, petting him gently. He hadn't ridden Glacier much at all, not compared to how much he'd like to. He was too busy with all the stupid errands his quote on quote teachers had decided to saddle him with, so even if he spoiled his horse as much as he could, he couldn't help but feel he wasn't doing enough. He carefully put on Glacier's bridle before leading him out of the stall, walking a far bit away from his horse before taking a running jump. After all, as beautiful as the percheron was, Izumi was young enough he hadn't hit any real growth spurts. He thanked the Gods as he scrambled up rather ungracefully onto his horse's back, finding himself close to losing purchase a few times. He hadn't quite perfected it, no, but it looked cool, right? Well, hopefully his prince thought so, at least. He mussed a hand through Glacier's silvery mane, happily murmuring praise under his breath to the horse.

"Is that an invitation?" Ritsu couldn't help himself, teasing this pretty silver haired boy was just too fun. His eyes widened and his mouth formed a small 'o' as he watched Izumi jump onto his horse, something he himself probably couldn't do given just how massive the horse was. "Well, that sure is a horse fit for a knight, hm? He'll have no trouble carrying you around with all your armor." He waited for Izumi to get settled before giving Whisper a gentle squeeze and cluck, urging her to walk on. "Honestly getting a heavier horse like that was smart of your mother, some of the lighter horses have trouble carrying such heavily armored men." It wasn't like they struggled horribly, if they did they'd invest in heavier horses themselves, but their stamina surely didn't last quite as long as he thought this horse's might- Ritsu could easily imagine Izumi and his large horse leading all the others into battle.

Izumi laughed, urging Glacier to walk as well, grinning at the prince's surprised face at his managing to claw his way up the monster. Perfect, he was hoping he'd be impressed, even if he shouldn't be attempting to woo the boy. "If you want to sleep in the worst bed in the world, I think I'd be legally obligated to give it to you milord. I suppose I was spoiled, my mother doesn't spare any expense when it comes to comfort it seems. If I'm shocked, you really would be." He smiled at Ritsu's observation- he was intelligent, which was certainly appreciated in his friends. "Mhmm, he's the perfect beast for such a thing. Fairly fast, too, he got me here in record time." With a wicked grin, he raised his eyebrows. "Do you want to race? Try to keep up." That was all the warning he gave before speeding ahead, really enjoying getting to go for a ride like this with someone so attractive. Hopefully prince Ritsu wouldn't mind too much that he didn't like asking permission, or waiting.

"That's not fair!" Ritsu yelled, giving Whisper a squeeze with his legs as he leaned forward. His horse may be shorter but she was still fast, and caught up in almost no time at all. "I could have your head for cheating like that, you know!" He shouted, briefly looking over to Izumi before focusing back on his horse. He leaned his hands forward onto her neck, releasing some of the pressure on her reins and giving her more of her head, allowing her to really stretch out. Izumi's horse may have larger strides and be able to cover more ground faster, but Whisper was never one to be outshone. She pinned her ears back and stretched out her neck, galloping forward even more, leaving a cloud of snow behind them.

It was amusing to hear Ritsu's telltale shout as he sped ahead, and he was glad to see the prince react as any boy did, giving his all to beat him. His threat passed over Izumi's head easily, but he found it charming that he got irritated enough to say something like that. Cute. Whisper was impressive after all, he noted to himself, though it made plenty of sense. Glacier was a heavy boy after all- realistically, a smaller horse moving faster was more than reasonable. Still, he continued to gallop through the snow, which was pleasantly fresh and fluffy, until Ritsu slowed, allowing him to catch up. "Good to see you don't just have a horse just for show, after all. With him being left all alone, I was fairly sure he was just some princess's plaything."

Ritsu leaned back, letting the reins slip through his hand, allowing Whisper to catch her breath. "Hah! She's definitely not some plaything, she's faster than any other horse in the stable. Frustrates the hell out of all the other knights, that my little Fjord is faster than all their fancy shmancy horses." He leaned down, giving her a gentle pat. "Even faster than my brother's horse! He's a massive Friesian stallion, I doubt you've met him yet since my brother was allowed to bring him on our trip, since he's a "proper" horse for a prince and all. I bet you'll like him, he's feisty, gives my brother lots of trouble- he loves me though!" He stated this proudly, though his face quickly fell. "My brother's been very busy lately, my parents are trying to find him a suitable wife... So I've been riding alone a lot lately."

Izumi smiled, enjoying Ritsu's bragging about his horse. So this wasn't the first time he'd raced some knight, huh? That was pretty amusing to imagine. "Your little fjord is perfect, and much better than any of theirs, I have to say. Most of them are too focused on being annoyingly masculine to notice a little gem like him. Your brothers horse sounds gorgeous, though, and I like the feisty ones. Especially if they're fancy and brats to their owners, just perfect." He noticed Ritsu's shift in tone, and found himself petting his own horse in urge to comfort. "That sounds... Frustrating, though," he said, tone somewhat gentle, much more than it had been throughout this conversation. "Well, I'm an only child, so I can't quite get it... but, I'm willing to ride with you whenever you like?" His tone was a bit uncertain, not sure if he would end up with an annoyed prince yelling at him. He'd dealt with noble boys, and a lot of them would consider an offer like that highly offensive. Implying they needed his help or company when he was 'just' from the Sena household was highly offensive, apparently. As if his own household hadn't fought the Sakuma household for right to own the land, further in history. All because, he supposed, they were further North and a little less proper. If anything, the people here were too proper, obsessed with politics and seeming correct at all times and pleasing the King. Izumi wasn't opposed to the man, but it was obnoxious to be constantly corrected in his speech- he had been for weeks now. He probably would be chastised for even speaking to the prince, but he found himself wanting to do it much more often, if the boy was this lonely.

"Really?" Ritsu looked up at him, his red eyes sparkling brightly in the sun. "Well in that case we'll definitely need to move your horse to my stables, that way we can groom and tack up together as well." He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, the thought of having someone to ride with again just made him too happy, it had been so lonely for him recently. Not to mention it would be someone his age, not some old boring knight. He'd actually have a friend for once. "I can show you all the best trails around the kingdom, and maybe if I feel like it I'll take you to some of my secret spots too."

The prince was especially adorable when he smiled, though this angle wasn't good enough... He hoped he'd get to see it a lot more from now on, considering they were apparently close friends now. I mean, it wasn't just every day you'd do that kind of thing, right? That definitely made him special. He grinned again, glad to see that level of enthusiasm. He'd been dealing with way too many boring old people lately, and even the kids he'd met were way too obnoxious. "That sounds perfect, I'll make sure to make time so you can give me a proper tour around here."

"Good, as your prince I command it." He huffs lightly, watching his breath turn into cold air. "We should probably get back." Ritsu noted, looking at the setting sun. It'd be dinner time soon, and his parents would be wondering where he was if he's not back soon. Though a part of him wanted to just take off galloping, running away from the palace and all his responsibilities, taking up a new life and living as a commoner. He doubted he'd last long though, he enjoyed being pampered too much.

Izumi nodded. "It is pretty late..." He found himself feeling a bit sad that his time out was ending, but it's not like he could do this forever, anyways. That said, he'd have plenty of time to ride with the prince in the future, from the sounds of it, so he didn't need to fuss about it. Still, his disappointment was likely audible. Nonetheless, he began his trek back to the palace, speeding back into a gallop before saying anything more. He wasn't used to actually caring about his friends, and he definitely wasn't used to being this lonely all the time. He was so sure he'd be fine without his mother, but he wasn't used to being truly alone. It was easiest if he left without properly saying goodbye, so he could just see his prince again tomorrow.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timeskip hours! 
> 
> Warnings for violence and general cruelty in this chapter. Some suggestive stuff at the end of this chapter, but no actual smut until next chapter.

Eating was always somewhat of a pain for Ritsu, having to rely solely on live humans proved difficult. Though over the years he's gotten used to it, and while at first he preferred them to be properly knocked out first, he now quite enjoyed them simply being gagged and tied- their squirming to get away was more fun. He never could properly hunt like a vampire normally would, as his family was noble and had a human image to keep up, so this was the closest he could get. "Struggling really won't help you," Ritsu strode over to the young women, smiling as she desperately tried to get away, her eyes wide and brimming with tears. "If anything it'll just make it hurt even more... Though I suppose I don't really care whether it hurts more for you or not." He chuckled lightly as he leaned down, placing his hands on her shoulders and burying his face in her neck. His mouth opened and his fangs easily sunk into her flesh, quickly drawing blood. Ritsu relished in the way her body spasmed with shock, holding her as steady as he could. And right on time, his window opened and he looked up to see Izumi, staring at him in shock. "Ah, Izumi," He pulled away, licking his lips as blood dribbled down his chin. "You're just in time."

Izumi swallowed heavily as he took in the scene in front of him, and he felt his breathing stop for a minute, his brows knitting together. What the fuck had he walked in on? A base urge in him told him to be terrified, and it took a lot to fight it. This was his best friend, and he'd known him for years, but... He was a powerful person with a lot of fucking influence, and he was doing something absolutely morbid and inhumane. Torturing someone, to be frank, something he never could have imagined from Ritsu, no matter the jokes he made. He felt slightly sick, and found himself clenching his jaw in disgust. "What..." He paused, taking in a deep breath. "What the fuck are you doing, Ritsu?" His voice was measured, surprisingly calm given the situation, but he'd come here to hang out with his friend, not see... Whatever this was. He found himself even more disgusted with the twinge of jealousy that rang through him at the sight that he couldn't quite explain away. Was he really that desperate that he'd want Ritsu to do something like this to him? Because that woman looked absolutely fucking miserable. He resisted the urge to run over to check on her, because if anything, he felt there wasn't any saving her, not if the prince was getting away with treating her like this.

"You see, Izumi," Ritsu let the woman fall to the ground, standing up and walking over to the window to pull his friend in. "I'm a vampire, my whole family is. But I knew you wouldn't believe me if I just told you, so I had to show you." He says this all very matter-of-factly, an innocent smile on his face as blood continued to drip from his lips. "Don't bother checking on her, also, she's as good as dead right now." He took a quick glance over his shoulder, looking at the passed out and bleeding woman on his floor. "So as for what I'm doing, I'm simply having dinner." With that he grabs Izumi roughly, pulling him in and falling onto the bed, smiling up at him.

Of course Ritsu had to do something like this, and in the most dramatic fashion possible... Izumi sighed, irritated, but otherwise found himself unsure of how he was supposed to feel. For one, vampires were real, which was fucking ridiculous, and he definitely wouldn't have believed this otherwise, which was even more obnoxious. Of course Ritsu had to be both cruel and absolutely right. Killing them so inhumanely though... He quickly pushed Ritsu away, and out of the bed, slitting the woman's throat with a soft, "I'm sorry," because in a weird way, he did feel like the one who'd killed her. He'd support Ritsu even after this, after all, so he was just as guilty. Ritsu had absolutely let him go to see her, as well, which was even worse, somehow. Thumping to the foor tiredly, he looked back to Ritsu with a glare. "You don't need to be so awful about it, though. Vampire or not, is that really necessarily?"

Pouting lightly as he sat on the floor, Ritsu shrugged up at Izumi, his face blank. "It's more fun. It's as close to an actual hunt as I'll get, too." The silver haired boy wouldn't like this answer, and he knew he wouldn't, but he'd already decided that he didn't really care what Izumi liked. "And I need to eat somehow or I'll die. You wouldn't want me to die, right?" He smiled smugly, already knowing the answer to his question.

How could he do something like that and pout only seconds later? Izumi didn't understand, honestly... How someone could care so little about human life, it was frankly terrifying. More than it had any right to be. He supposed some war torn soldiers could get similar, but honestly, it was very distinctly something that made Ritsu feel not human in a cold, distant way he couldn't fully understand. He felt frustrated, going up against Ritsu who was so obviously in power and knew he couldn't do anything about it, and more than anything, he was weirdly... Messed up about it. He grit his teeth more. blinking away a few stray tears that had absolutely no right to be there, but slid down his cheek anyways in his upset. "Of course I don't want you to die, you idiot. But I also don't like you torturing people, it's... I mean, it's just not right," he sighed. "Though I can tell that isn't getting across to you. That woman... Was someone's child, or friend, lover, wife, mother.. You wouldn't be happy if someone killed me cruelly like that, would you? I mean, I'd hope you wouldn't want me dead at all, but everyone has someone, you can't... Treat them like animals."

"But no one would kill you cruelly like that, Izumi, I'd kill them before they could even lay a hand on you." His face darkened for a moment, the thought of someone trying to hurt Izumi bringing out something even deadlier in him. He shook his head, wanting to get out of that mindset before it got too dangerous. "Hm if it'd make Izumi happier though I can go back to having them knocked out first..." Ritsu's face softened once again, sighing as he leaned back against his bed. It was annoying, of course it was. This was one of the few fun things he was actually allowed to do, but he didn't want Izumi to hate him. "One condition though," He raises a finger, looking up at his friend. "If I ever get any criminals I can eat them however I please."

Izumi relaxed a bit at the suggestion, even if it was still... Arguably terrible, and definitely not legal, it's really not like he would want his friend or any of his family to do badly. It was just, weird, and morally he was definitely in the wrong... But at least he'd be able to actually sleep at night with this, rather than being absolutely haunted by what a terrible person he was for supporting the Sakumas as much as he did. "Fair enough," he sighed, climbing onto the bed with Ritsu. "Well, I guess I should be grateful it was show or tell, because if I found out later on you did this in the hypothetical situation I would accept you were a vampire, I'd have fucking nightmares." That said, he found himself threading his fingers through Ritsu's dark, shiny hair without much care for the woman he just killed... So he really wasn't preaching much about morality, but he couldn't help it as his thumb reached out, gently wiping away the blood from Ritsu's mouth. "That was bothering me the whole time, don't be so messy," he chided, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Ritsu smiled, a light chuckle escaping his chest. "I feel like you're my mother scolding me to not play with my food or be messy." He teased, curling up to Izumi and gently nuzzling his neck- totally not seeing how far he could push the boundaries with him. "You handled this better than I thought you would, I'm glad. I was sure you'd run away, well, try to run away." His smile was sweet and innocent even though what he had just said had a dark implication. "Ah you smell so good, Izumi."

It was quite frankly, too adorable when Ritsu smiled, and he hated that it still suited him so well. Izumi tried not to tense as Ritsu nuzzled his neck, and swallowed heavily, slightly embarrassed that he wasn't only nervous for the sake of his life, which would be the much more reasonable reaction. No, it was Ritsu's breath against his neck making his heart stammer, his lips so close... Ugh, this was so obnoxious, he had to stop teasing him like this. He probably didn't realize that Izumi liked him so seriously, not with anything like this... And it was probably just that he was still hungry, for some reason. It... Had to be that, yes. He ignored the implication that he couldn't have run if he tried, distracting himself with the compliment and Ritsu's warm breath against his neck. "In... What way?" he stammered, cursing himself for sounding so nervous.

Ah, his reaction was just as adorable as he expected... The way he swallowed and the slight panic in his eyes... Exactly what he had hoped for. "Mm in the way that makes me want to just devour you~" Ritsu pulled away, grinning even more widely. "I won't do that though, I'd never hurt you... Unless you wanted me to, of course." He winked, enjoying teasing the boy too much.

Izumi sighed, frustrated as ever, but still felt his heart fluttering nervously, this time surely im pure embarrassment. Had he really gotten his hopes up? About being bitten? After he just saw Ritsu literally kill someone doing just that seconds before? He had to be insane. His face was flushed, he knew, but he was definitely going to ignore that. And he definitely wasn't going to jerk off to the sensation of Ritsu curled up to him like that later, either, definitely not. "Ugh, now you're just even more obnoxious," he complained, leaning back in the bed. "At least your bed is actually comfortable." He completely ignored Ritsu's flirting.. Ritsu was surely already in arranged marriage, and if he wasn't, he was going to be soon. One way or another, this wasn't like anyone else he'd fucked thoughtlessly, Ritsu was a prince, and, well, he was in love with him. So he really had to ignore how way too much of tonight went to his dick and think thoroughly on how horrific it was that that woman died tonight. Alright, that was a thorough mood killer- he could even see her, when he glanced over the bed just a bit... Yup, that was awful and disgusting. Thank god. In some weird way, he was thankful he had something thoroughly awful to keep him from fucking Ritsu into his comfy, comfy mattress.

"You're welcome to stay the night." It's not like Izumi hadn't before. Being the second born had some perks, like not being checked on often or as closely guarded. His parents never came into his room and he knew his brother wouldn't tattle on him. "You'll have to hide in the closet or something while the maids clean that up, though."

Izumi contemplated it, weighing the risks vs. reward and also if he could even sleep with a dead body in the room. It was probably a bad sign that he even thought about it. Finally, he sighed for the umpteenth time this night, shrugging. "You shouldn't talk about dead people like that. But sure, I guess, even if this is absolutely weird. I'm not passing up the chance to sleep in a bed that doesn't give me back pain for one night."

The two laid in bed together until a maid came knocking on his door, Ritsu quickly hide Izumi in his closet, and once the body was cleaned up he came back out. The sun had set by this time and the moon was out, shining brightly through his window. He changed into a loose lace nightgown, crawling into bed and curling up to Izumi once more. "Mm my bed feels less lonely whenever you're here, Izumi~ I always sleep better with you too." Ritsu smiled happily, his eyes closing as he reached down to grab the others hand, lacing their fingers together. He laid like this for a moment, simply enjoying the feeling of Izumi next to him, before deciding that he had one more surprise for him tonight. Sitting up, he positioned himself over Izumi, placing his hands on either side of his hand. He simply stared into his eyes for a moment, smiling gently down at him, before leaning down and softly yet firmly pressing his lips against the others. They were a bit chapped, which was to be expected in the north, but overall felt very nice against his own. "I love you, Izumi." Ritsu said softly as he pulled away, laying back down and once again snuggling into him.

It was always comfortable in Ritsu's bed, but even more so was just how present Ritsu was. His scent, his warmth in the bed, and inevitably, his hand in his own... Izumi felt really relaxed like this, holding Ritsu's hand gently as the moonlight shone in. He sank happily into the bed, feeling his eyes getting heavier as he relaxed. He didn't respond to Ritsu's comment, tired and content. As he felt Ritsu begin to move, however, he curiously opened his eyes, looking up at him with some level of confusion... But he found himself relaxing into the gentle kiss much easier than he would have wanted. He didn't really want it to end... But it did, fairly quickly. Which was fine, for a first kiss, but given that and the confession, he would get to have much more. "I... Love you too," he said, a bit embarrassed. His heart hammered in his chest, but he found himself relaxing as he petted Ritsu's hair gently, pulling him a bit closer. "Why are you always like this, hm? Troublesome prince..."

"Like what?" He said innocently, batting his eyes up at the other. The beating of Izumi's heart relaxed and calmed him, his eyes fluttering closed as he focused on the sound and feeling. His fingers absent-mindedly drumming on his chest, as if to go along with his heartbeat. "So now what?" Ritsu shifted his position to lay on top of Izumi, smirking up at him as he rested his head on his chest. "Will you steal me away? Take me far away from this boring kingdom? I'd quite like that... Though you'd then have everyone out for your head, but I could protect you I'm sure." He reached a hand up, cupping his cheek gently. "Mm but I'd have to hunt for my food then, and while I would find that quite fun, I know you wouldn't especially like it. Aha if you think my ways are cruel now I can only imagine what you'd think if I were allowed to hunt properly."

Izumi's face scrunched, and he gently slapped Ritsu's hand away, pushing it off. He liked the gentle touch, but the words Ritsu was saying were a lot less charming, and he was already starting to get stressed out. Instead, he gently ran his hand through Ritsu's hair, focusing on the comforting weight of him on top of him, the absentminded drumming of his fingers. "I think I'm good, on all fronts. I hate to say it, but I don't think my spoiled prince would be ready for a life on the road, and I'm not particularly fond of being on the run, either. Or you killing people like that. Ugh, don't even remind me." He sighed, petting Ritsu more, closing his eyes and trying not to get cranky that this is even more complicated than he thought. "When you're old enough..." he paused, anxiously wetting his lips, "I could... Become your knight, surely. Considering you're apparently a bloodthirsty killer, you might not be as fragile as I thought, or as needing protection but... It'd keep me by your side, and I wouldn't have to answer to anyone else."

"What, you don't think I could handle living on the run?" Ritsu pouted teasingly, propping himself up more to look down at Izumi. "Hm, that could work... I think even if you stayed in the Kings Guard though it'd be alright, I have no intentions of getting married and being shipped off and Brother surely wouldn't complain- even if he did I'd just threaten to never speak to him again and then he'd surely change his mind." He stated this bluntly, knowing he had Rei wrapped around his fingers. Honestly his parents were the main issue in this... While he has no intentions of getting married his parents thought otherwise, and it was something that was always at the back of his mind. His parents wanted to spread their lineage as much as they could, creating even more vampires in the kingdom, Ritsu could care less about that though. He could only hope that his parents would die before they could marry him off.

Izumi chuckled. Ritsu's pout was cute, but even more, what he really loved about him was his drive and determination. Perhaps some would call it stubbornness, or selfishness, but he enjoyed Ritsu's obvious and clear desires to get what he wanted, and his ability to think and act in such a way he made sure it happened. He didn't doubt that if Ritsu willed it, he wouldn't be married- he frequently joked that Ritsu was a better strategist than a prince, and he still felt that way now. Admittedly most wouldn't want a strategist wholly lacking in the empathy department, but, well, he just is grateful not to be on the opposing side. Not that he never deals with Ritsu's controlling nature, obviously, but it could be much worse if he didn't actually enjoy his company. "Well, I'm sure you can pull it off, whatever the case. I'm not sure which I'd prefer, I suppose whatever benefits me more... Frankly, I don't mind your brother, but I'd rather an excuse to be near you, even if the former gives me more power."

This talk was boring Ritsu, honestly. He didn't want to talk about the future and what they could potentially do to stay together, he wanted to focus on this moment, where they already were together. "Hey, Izumi." He said idly, staring down into his icy blue eyes. "You've fucked a lot of people in the kingdom, right?" A smirk crossed his lips as his eyes narrowed down at the boy beneath him. "Ever thought about fucking your prince?"

**Author's Note:**

> Fun notes: Glacier (Izumi's horse) is a dapple grey Percheron. They've been said to have carried knights in the past. Whisper (Ritsu's horse) is a silver Fjord. They're both able to handle cold, which is useful since this takes place in the North. Rei has a black Friesian.


End file.
